Hon Hai Precision Industry Co founder Terry Gou (郭台銘) met with a tarot card reader in June to honor a request by the card reader, a Gou aide said yesterday, denying the tycoon sought the consultation over a presidential bid.
Amanda Liu (劉宥彤), a senior member of Gou’s campaign team and chief executive officer of the Yonglin Education Foundation, made the remark in response to online media outlet Up Media’s report yesterday that Gou in late June sought advice from tarot card teacher Su Jen-tsung (蘇仁宗) about his chances of winning the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential primary.
Su’s readings showed that Gou “would likely not win the primary,” the report said, but added that the reading was positive when Gou asked whether he would be elected president.
Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
Gou last month lost the primary to Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) by 17 percentage points.
Liu yesterday said there are many rumors about Gou and people should treat them as something to chat about at their leisure.
Su is a big fan of Gou’s and had during the primary repeatedly asked the campaign team to convey his “lifetime wish” to meet with the tycoon, Liu said.
To show his appreciation for his fans’ support, Gou met with Su for half an hour, Liu said, adding that she was present at the meeting.
Gou and Su mainly engaged in chit-chat, Liu said, adding that Su advised Gou to show his sentimental side and not act on impulse during the primary.
“Su conducted a tarot card reading as a way of showing his support for Gou,” Liu said.
The reading “had nothing to do with the primary or the presidential election,” and “encouraged Gou to keep going,” she said.
While some have misinterpreted the meeting as Gou seeking guidance from supernatural powers instead of the public, it was actually an example of a fan expressing his support for Gou in his own way, Liu said.
A clarification was needed, as it is unscientific to link divination with the election, she added.
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